Abhishek Sharma can’t buy a run, quite literally. Three matches into the T20 World Cup 2026, the Indian opener has yet to get off the mark. Abhishek missed one group stage match and registered ducks in the other three.
Just before the India vs Pakistan match, former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir had labelled Abhishek as a slogger, someone who is technically weak.
“By whatever little I have seen, if you ask me honestly, I feel he is just a slogger. He has to go hard at every ball. I don’t think he is technically sound. He just stands there and wants all balls to be bowled in a particular area,” Amir had said.
Amir bashes Abhishek Sharma again
In the next two matches, against Pakistan and the Netherlands, Abhishek couldn’t get off the mark. It validated what Amir had said about the Indian opener. After the end of the group stage matches for India and Pakistan, Amir has placed Abhishek and Pakistan’s opener Saim Ayub in the same bracket.
The left-arm pacer thinks both are bound to fail in the longer formats if they continue to blindly slog. Amir doesn’t think Abhishek can succeed in big games. His three ducks are evidence enough for Amir that he isn’t cut out for international cricket.
“Same for Abhishek (as Ayub). He wants every ball in the slot so he can hit. But at the bigger stages, or in ODIs, har ball lapete mein nahi le sakte (you cannot slog every ball in pressure cricket). Salman Agha and Aryan Dutt got him out in a similar fashion. International cricket will expose you,” Amir said on the Pakistani show Game on Hai.
Abhishek Sharma T20I stats
| Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
| 40 | 1297 | 135 | 34.13 | 192.43 | 2 | 8 |
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